1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to helicopter flight training, and more particularly to a non-flying vehicle capable of traveling on land and which includes helicopter style main controls for manipulation by a human operator.
2. Brief Description of the Related Prior Art
Clearly, in the prior art, there are many types of land vehicles capable of transporting at least the human operator.
Flying helicopters for transporting one or more humans exist in the prior art and include controls somewhat similar to those used in the present invention.
In the prior art there are helicopter flight simulators of numerous various arrangements, often computer aided and used with displays and costly motion platforms, for allowing flying practice and testing. Such simulators are not vehicles which transport the operator along the ground a substantial distance. There are also small flying helicopter models in the prior art which are remotely controlled.
The xe2x80x9cprior artxe2x80x9d book xe2x80x9cROTOR and WING INTERNATIONALxe2x80x9d HELICOPTER AERODYNAMICS, by R. W. Prouty, Copyright 1985 by PJS Publications Inc. is hereim incorporated by reference in order to provide additional data related to helicopters and to expand the herein data related to the present invention. In the xe2x80x9cProutyxe2x80x9d book, the descriptions of the cyclic; the foot pedals; the collective; the throttle, i.e. the main controls manipulated by the pilot, and the requirement of the maintenance of proper engine RPM (revolutions per minute) are of particular relevance to the present invention.
Helicopter piloting is generally referred to as one of the most difficult and dangerous skills to learn. The complex, interactive nature of the controls makes it difficult to learn and impossible to master without extensive hours of demanding practice.
The four basic fundamental skill levels of helicopter flight are:
Stage 1xe2x80x94Learning control functions and basic coordination;
Stage 2xe2x80x94Learning dynamic flight control (compensating for external forces, wind etc.);
Stage 3xe2x80x94Environmental interaction (multi-craft maneuvers and formations);
Stage 4xe2x80x94In-flight communication (passengers, co-pilot, other vehicles, tower etc.).
More than other piloted vehicles, helicopter flight control is complex with proficiency achieved only through concentrated training and repetition. Unfortunately, due to the high cost of helicopter flight time/instruction and limited access to costly motion platform simulators, proficiency training is often compromised.
Furthermore, traditional helicopter flight instruction complicates the learning process by forcing the student pilot to learn multiple, fundamental skills simultaneously that can be learned more effectively if studied and practiced in a graduated series, i.e. one skill level or stage at a time.
The United States Federal Aviation Administration Office of Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor for Human Factors reports (Order 9550.8 Human Factors Policy) xe2x80x9cThe human factorxe2x80x9d has been widely recognized as critical to aviation safety and effectiveness. In the report titled xe2x80x9cSafe Skies for Tomorrow,xe2x80x9d the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) concluded that long-term improvements in aviation safety will come primarily from human factors solutions. Further the FAA""s emphasizing new and coordinated efforts in the area of human factors with NASA, DOD (Department of Defense), and a multitude of professional groups including the Air Transport Association Human Factors Task Force. Their objective is to identify cost-sensitive solutions to achieve performance enhancements including increased personnel efficiency and effectiveness, reduced operations and maintenance cost and enhanced aviation safety.
I am not aware of any prior art land based wheeled vehicle having helicopter style main controls, as with the present invention, for manipulation by a human operator riding in the vehicle. Further, I believe such a vehicle would be of substantial value in learning and practicing helicopter piloting.
The present invention is a non-flying land based wheeled vehicle with helicopter style main controls and capable of transporting at least one person. The helicopter style controls are provided on the present vehicle within reach of the operator and are positioned, structured and connected to provide similar feel and effects as helicopter controls when manipulated. The vehicle can be used for training a student to fly a helicopter; for a helicopter operator (pilot) to use in order to stay in practice or for testing proficiency, for example only.
The present vehicle in preferred embodiment includes, in addition to the helicopter style main controls, a frame or chassis; four ground contacting wheels supporting the chassis; a power-plant, i.e. engine or motor and transmission or the like supported on the chassis and connected for propelling the vehicle via rotating one or more of the wheels, and at least one seat for supporting a human. One preferred embodiment includes a seat for the student and a seat or seat space for an instructor or test giver (second person) so that at least two can ride in the traveling vehicle. This multiple person vehicle can, as shown in the herewith drawings, includes dual or duplicate helicopter styles controls allowing each person control input.
The controls simulating helicopter controls are provided on the present vehicle within reach of the seated operator and connected directly or indirectly (operatively) to the wheels, transmission, engine (power-plant) throttle and in a preferred embodiment to a computer or programable controller to provide similar effects as helicopter controls when manipulated.
Such helicopter style controls include a cyclic which is a joystick for simulating helicopter heading or direction of travel control which in the present preferred vehicle aims or steers the front wheels (preferably all wheels) and shifts the transmission between forward and reverse. Neutral can be in the center. The joystick (cyclic) on the present invention simulates the cyclic of a flying helicopter. Further included in the present preferred vehicle as a helicopter style control is a pair of foot operated pedals (foot pedals) for simulating helicopter anti-torque manipulation which can be increased or decreased via depression of the proper pedal to rotate the helicopter changing the nose heading, an aspect simulating tail-rotor blade pitch angle change in helicopters having a tail-rotor, or the air stream output angle in the Notar style helicopters, i.e., the type not having a conventional tail-rotor but instead blowing a stream of air to counter the torque effect of the rotating main rotor. In the present preferred vehicle, the opposing foot pedals selectively, depending upon the pedal pushed and the current position of the rear wheels, steer the rear wheels to positions of more than or less than the angles set by the cyclic and can be used as control interfaces to alter the nose or vehicle front end heading if the vehicle is traveling. The cyclic and the foot pedals can be viewed as first and second steering controls on the present vehicle. Also included in a preferred present vehicle is a pivotal collective lever or arm, as a helicopter style control, arranged to apply load or simulated load to the power-plant when raised, much like the collective of helicopter used to change the main rotor blade pitch angle to achieve lift, which due to the greater pitch, applies additional load to the engine (power-plant) requiring additional throttle in order to maintain RPM. In the present preferred vehicle, a hand throttle manipulable by the human operator is also provided preferably in a rotatable grip form, as a helicopter style control, so that the operator can practice maintaining engine RPM simultaneously while manipulating the collective which would also be manipulating power-plant RPM (first and second RPM manipulators). Some, but certainly not all flying helicopters have automatic RPM compensation for collective movement and thus do not include a hand manipulable throttle member, and while such would be within the scope of the invention, I prefer the hand input throttle or second throttle manipulation member so that the operator can practice the simultaneously manipulations of the collective and hand throttle, thereby learning to maintain RPM under varying loads applied to the engine (power-plant). Preferably the collective also actuates a wheel brake when pressed downward beyond a certain predetermined point so as to serve as a hand brake lever for stopping or slowing the vehicle by braking one or more of the wheels. Braking can also be used to simulate additional load applied to the power-plant requiring manual throttle input (increase) to maintain RPM.
The controls simulating helicopter controls are provided on the present vehicle within reach of the seated operator and connected directly or indirectly (operatively) as needed with mechanical, electromechanical, electronics, hydraulics, pneumatics and the like to achieve the desired end result to the wheels, transmission, engine (power-plant) and in a preferred embodiment to a computer or programable controller to provide similar feels and effects as helicopter controls when manipulated.
A primary object of the invention is to provide a land vehicle capable of transporting an operator over terrain and which includes helicopter style main controls useful to reduce the helicopter flight control training process down to its fundamental elements for providing an understanding of helicopter behavior, without risk, and facilitating efficient development of flight control skills at a relatively low cost.
The present helicopter flight training vehicle uniquely provides the appropriate challenge for student pilots at various learning stages or levels, facilitating an extremely effective self paced learning process. By reducing the training process down to additive fundamental skill development, students at all skill levels can practice and improve their proficiency and achieve the required level of instinctual response. Most importantly however, the present vehicle allows the inexperienced student pilot to safely reach a minimum proficiency level without leaving the ground. Additionally, the present helicopter flight training vehicle can be used for pilot skill testing and early identification of coordination challenges.
Further objects, advantages, uses and structural arrangements of the present invention should become apparent with continued reading and with a review of the included drawings.